Adjustable shelf support



Dec. 20, 1955 H. J. BALLY 2,727,711

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Filed Jan. 22, 1951 INVENl'OR 12 644w: M 51.44 Y,

United States Patent Q ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Hans Jurg Bally, Zurich, Switzerland Application January 22, 1951, Serial No. 207,143

Claims. (Cl. 248-246) My invention relates to adjustable shelf supports and more particularly to such supports that are self clamping in selected adjusted position.

Adjustable shelf supports known in the art involve friction-grip devices in the form of vertically-adjustable shelf-bearing clamps, and posts having longitudinal hollow profiles. The latter are provided with opposite contact faces to coact with clamps forming part of the said devices and being inserted into the hollow-profiles.

According to my present invention, the bearing clamps are formed of two parts of which each is supported by an arm of a stirrup which forms the web of the bearing clamp and serves for receiving an insert secured to the shelf or supporting surface.

The subject matter of my present invention shall be more fully explained, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 shows a hollow-section post in cross-section and a bearing clamp mounted therein,

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. l, partly in section and showing a shelf board,

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a modification of Fig. 2 in form of an insert element,

Fig. 4 shows in smaller scale and in side view, the insert element illustrated in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bearing clamp shown in Figs. 1-3,

Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of Fig. 5.

In the drawing, the rack post 1 is of prismatic hollow section and has a longitudinal slot 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a split or two-part clamp 3 is mounted in the post 1, the two clamp lugs 3 being integral with the two legs of a stirrup 4 which forms the bearing-clamp web. The said bearing clamp 3, 4 is of U-shape in longitudinal section. Under the influence of the load supported by the shelf board 5, the edges a and b of the two clamp lugs 3 are frictionally engaged by the opposite contact faces 6 and 6' in the hollow-section post 1. In the example shown in Fig. 2, an insert element 7 is secured to the underside of the shelf board 5, being disposed between the two arms of the clamp stirrup 4 and thus positively locating the said board.

The insert element shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises a horizontal bearing plate 8, a vertical stem 9, 10 stepped in width, and a bracket 11 which possesses lateral shoulders 12 having chamfered edges on the underside. The width of the stepped portion 10, or the width of the bracket 11, is smaller than the distance between the arms of the clamp stirrup 4. Further the width of the stem portion 9 is slightly less than that of the longitudinal slot 2 and corresponds approximately to the height of the clamp lugs 3. The arms of clamp stirrup 4 further are resilient.

When erecting the rack, the bearing-clamp lugs 3 are introduced into the hollow section of post 1, which may be done by holding the bearing clamp on edge. The stem 9, 10 of the insert then is introduced above the bearing clamp into the hollow section and moved downwardly in such position. The chamfered faces of the shoulders 12 thus are engaged by the bearing clamp and are instrumental in spreading the clamp arms. When the insert has reached the position shown in Fig. 3, the shelf board 2,727,711 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 ice may be secured to the plate 8, for example by means of screws. As will be readily appreciated, the insert 8-12 increases the stability of the shelf board.

In place of the bearing clamps used in the two examples described above and shown in Fig. 5 per se, clamps as shown in Fig. 6 may be used, and the insert shown in Fig. 3 may be formed diiferently.

The posts 1 may be made of plastic or any suitable metal.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a hollow post having a slot opening longitudinally through one wall thereof with oppositely disposed abutment faces on the inner sides of said post, one of said faces being the inner side of said slotted wall, an adjustable shelf support comprising a U- shaped clamp having a pair of substantially parallel arms interconnected at one end and forming a supporting stirrup, a pair of oppositely extending clamping lugs on the opposite free ends of said arms inserted in the hollow post with said U-shaped stirrup extending through said slot in a substantially horizontal operative position, said lugs comprising prismatic members having a thickness less than the spacing of the oppositely disposed abutment faces in the post to permit ready adjustment of the clamp relative to the post, said prismatic members having diagonally opposite corner portions spaced a distance greater than the spacing of the abutment faces in the post, said portions being at different elevations so as to engage against the respective abutment faces when the stirrup is in substantially horizontal position with pressure on said stirrup increasing the clamping pressure on said portions.

2. An adjustable shelf support as set forth in claim 1 comprising an insert embraced by said arms for supporting a shelf.

3. An adjustable shelf support as set forth in claim 2, said insert having a stem insertable in the hollow-section post and a bearing portion extending from said stem and embraced by the arms of the clamp and supported thereon and a plate on said bearing portion for supporting a shelf.

4. An adjustable shelf support as defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of clamp arms are resilient.

5. An adjustable shelf support as defined in claim 1 wherein said lugs are of non-rectangular parallelogram section with the diagonally opposed edges, which are spaced the greatest, forming said opposite clamping portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,024 Bowman Dec. 30, 1884 351,143 Whittingham Oct. 19, 1886 388,066 Murphy Aug. 21, 1888 447,658 Brockmonn Mar. 3, 1891 465,794 Of Dec. 22, 1891 623,517 Carpenter Apr. 25, 1899 716,852 Baker Dec. 30, 1902 754,817 Schriefer Mar. 15, 1904 768,929 Breeze Aug. 30, 1904 1,055,050 Knape Mar. 4, 1913 1,560,122 Vance Nov. 3, 1925 1,824,243 'Ihies Sept. 22, 1931 2,056,078 Slater Sept. 29, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 791,726 France Oct. 7, 1935 

